Rotary fluid-clutch.



II. G.`G0IIIMIIN III C. II. HARRIS.

` AROTARY FLUID CLUTCH. C APPLICATION` FILED APR. 23. I9I 3.

atented Mar. 7, 1916.

R. G. GOLDMAN & H. HARRIS.

` ROTARY FLUID CLUTCH.

l APPLlcATx'oN HLED APR'. 23. 1913.v

' 15.174,853, l. `Patented Mar. 7,1916.

'3 SHEETS-SHEET 3. l

` whre/amd 4inverses.

To all lwhom z' may concer-n3 Be it known `that we, RU'rHEnronD G. GOLD MAN and CHAnLns B. HARRIS, citizens of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, inv

the county of Los Angeles and State of California., have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Fluid-Clutches, of

. which the following is a-specification.

Our invention relates to'an improvement.

in rotary fluid clutches, and more particu -larly to that class of transmission devices wherein one member is capable and adapted' to rctate 'about the other until the air be' tween the two members is compressed, causing the two members to be locked together and rotate as a unit.

The object of this inventionA is to provide means -wherebythe air cany be compressed for locking the driving and 'driven elements together so that they will rotate as a unit. Another `object `is to provide a clutch or transmission device that will be simple, ef.

fective, and Aeasily controlled thatrwill take up`the first `shock `or sudden torque on the,

compression of air, giving a cushion effect,

but which may, at the will of the operator, be thrown into aypos'itive mechanical drive, and a device which will give any ratio of speexkfrom-zero-to maximum at the will of theoperator.

The invention consists of certain novel andpointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 `is a horizontal sectional view of the invention; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view; Fig. 3 is an end view showing one of the end members and cone removed;

i Fig. 4 is a` sectional view on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 5` is a detail sectional view on line 5`5 of Fig, 1. l y.

A. represents the casing, which .is provided with an open end, which is adapted to be closed by an end member or .cover 1, the cover and casingbeing connected together by means of bolts 2f A driving shaft 3 is "connected to the casing A for transmitting rotary movement `to the casing.` Journaled in the casing and cover is. a shaft 4, which is loosely mounted within the casing and lover so that the casing is rotatable' indeo ndently ofthe shaft.' A rotor 5 is mounted upon the shaft, and is connected thereto )y means of keys 6. The rotor is providedv with a number of abutments 6. Located Ten srarns PATENT envien.

nurnnnronn commen 'AND onannns 4n. HARRIS; or nlmsninns, oA'LIronNfa,

ring 7, The rotary abutments 9 are rovided 'with'teethlh which are adapte to mesh with-teeth 12 ontherctor 5,`the rotary abutments being journaled vso that they are Specieation of VLettersv IPatemt.`44 I Pafenfd Man v application med April 23,1513. -sena1N.7ss,1-os.- 5

' within the casing and inclosing the rotor ,5 A

1s a rmgfl. This ring is-provided. with cesses 8, in which rotary abutmentsiQ aiere- 'i 'ce1ved,the rotary abutments being-journaled 1n the casing and intermediate member or. 1- plate 10, which'is located adjacent to the;

capableofrotating aboutthe rotor 5 with;

out transmitting any movement to the rotor and shaft4when the casing is rotated. The

casing ring 7 and intermediate member or plate 10 are vconnected together by means of pins-13. The, intermediate member or plate l0 is provided 'with ,ports or openings 14, 14

lon .each side of each rotary abutment 9" `which lead finto equalizing chambersl l15. Valves 16, 16 are mounted -to slide in theorts or openings 14 for the purpose of clos'f lpiig I the ports durin vthe compression-v These valves are provi ed with valve stems o 17, which stems are connectedto a disk 'or annular member 18, and located between the member 18'and the'. valves are springs 19,

which springs are encircled about the valve face 22 of the-cone clutch 20 is adapted to features of construction and combinations of #engage the conical1 clutching face 23` of the. parts 'which will be hereinafter described cone clutch is moved toits limit of moveintermediate member of plate 10 whenV the 'stems 17. A4 cone clutch member 20 is slid ably `mounted upon the shaft 4and. is'splined" thereto by means of keys 21. The clutch j or sleeve 24, which is recessed on its inner surface for the reception of a spiral spring 25, the spring bearing yagainst nut 26 on the'.

shaft 4f A nut 27 is secured on the shaft 4v and against nut 26 forjholdin it in place.;

An annularA groove 28 vis forme in the sleeve whereby the sleeve can be actuatedfor force ing the clutch into engagement with'fthefclutch face of the member 10. A spring 25 tends to forcethe'cone clutch inwardly -t0-`v` ward the intermediate member 10.

Mounted Aupon the clutch member 20 isthe 4 disk on annular member 18. -A shoulderA 105- 29 onthe clutch member 20 is adaptedfto engage the member 18, when the valvesare drawn away from the ports 14 to permit the air in the compression chamber, which is formed between the rotor and ring 7, to How freely through the equalizing chambers and allow the the rotor.

casing to rotate freely about r l 1o member 18 for removin i untihfter the valves are closed to prevent the How@ of air from the compression cham' 1 5 ber to the equalizing chambers. The valves 4can be moved for opening or.closing the ports 14 either gradually or suddenly, :as desired.

-It will be seen that when the'cone .clutch 2ok 20 is -moved, the valves will be carried with it, thereby opening the passage from the 'compress1on cha mber' to the equalizing chambers, so thatthe casing is capable 'of free movement independently of the ro tor, z but when' the cone is released, the sprmg 25A willlcause thej lclutchtoreturn to its normal fposition, and Aafterthevalveshave become seated, thelclutch will -engage the clutch face,v ofthe member 10, thereby locking the tworfmembers together so that the lentire apparatus `will rotate asa unit.

ing that'the valves are seated and in a lclosed position and the drive shaft 3 is rotating, the rotation of the shaft 2 will v ,cause` the ,casing `to be rotated about' the rotor; the rotation of the casing around the rotor willcause the air between each rotary abutment and each abutment to be com# ressed,that is, the quantity Aor body of air between the abutment land the approaching rotaryabutment will becompressed, and the 1 compression `winbe continued anni. the

driven :shaft 4. andtherotor 5, :which is 14s ing and arivingshaftasa-nna. :The begin. i'ning of` the .cpmpiessin'on ,the-rotation of 'i fthe casingfaboiit the'rotoris imttakenup` by f a suddenjerk .or undue strain'u on the varif ons part'fs`, but rather thelirstfs ook is taken f Sfup on afcushio'n ofai'r, 'das the speedof the f zwo 'shaftsal becomes'equah the be frictioncone' 20 is Yown in,.whi ch makes africtionalfdrivexi1 ,j v bed'our invention, what we claim'. esireto secure jmby Latte'rsI-atent n 1. n

niemand-Irons 'the compression chamber, valves for closing mounted'therein," are-'rotating with the casi abutment and abutments, equalizing cham-` lmeans, and means engaging said means for between the .abutabutments, equalizingl chambers in .eommuncation with the com pression chamber for conducting the air from one side of the' rotaryv abutments to the other, and means for normally closing said equalizing chambers, whereby the air is compressed, causing the rotor and casing to be rotated as a unit.

2. In-ia transmission device, the combination with a casing and a rotor, having a compression chamber formed therebetween, means for driving the casing independently of the rotor, rotary abutmentsfjournaled in the casing, abutments on the rotor, whereby the vfluid "can be compressed :between the abutments 4and rotary abutments, equalizing' chambers in communication with the com- 8o pression chamber for conducting the' Huid from one side of the rotary abutments to the other, valves for closing' the equalizing chambers whereby the fluid in the compression chamber will be compressed as the casi ing rotates about the rotor, causing the casing and runner to be locked together androtate as a unit, means carrying-said valves, and means for normally holding said valves jinv a position for closing the equalizing 9o,

chambers. v

3. In a transmission-device, the combination with a casing and a rotor, said casing adapted to rotate independently of the rotor, a compression chamber between the rotor and casing, of rotary abutments journaled in thecasing, abutments on the rotor for compressing the air in the casing be-v tween the rotary abutments and abutments, equalizing chambers in communication with the equalizng chambers, and means for normally forcing the valves into aposition for closing the equalizing chambers, whereby th e`= air is compressed in the compression' 105 chamber, causing the rotor and casing to A rotate as a unit. fi.v In a transmission device, the combina.-V

tion 'with a casing and a rotor, said casing' i adapted to rotate independently of "the ro-c tor, a .compression chamber between the rotor and casing, of rotary abutments jor- .i 'A

naled in the caslng, abutments on the rotor' orcompressing the air between the rotary rs in communication with the compression chamber, valves' for closing the equalizing chambers whereby compression can take place in the compression chamber for locking the-rotor and casing together, an annularmember connected to thevalves, means connected to said annular member for ac- Vtuatin'g `said valves ,for opening the Yequalizing chambers upon the movement of said normally holding the valves in a position for closing the equalizing chambers. 5. In a transmission device, the combination'with a casing and a rotor, said casing" adapted rotate independently of the ro 130 compression chamber formed therebetween,

` said calsng` adaptedl to rotateimlependemy-` ofthe yotor, of rotary yaloiltmenzs journaled 25 inftheicasng, abutments on the rotor` ar `ranged;omt; compression will take place btw'eenat least; one of said ubutmelits and "valves into 3 `po#` mpression;mmftakefftny` `point "in` tho` compression Chambon@ 

